Filling and venting plug for storage battery cells



' -March 24, 1942. C RIGG$ ETAL 2,277,269

lV/T/VESS! 4 Azro/a C7 FILLING AND VENTING PLUG FOR STORAGE BATTERY CELLS Filed Dec. 12, 1938 v W MY/ziwz 65657276127 ITTO I VEK Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES v, PATENT OFFICE FILLING AND VENTING PLUG FOR STORAGE BATTERY CELLS Harold C. Riggs, Langhorne, and William C. Leingang, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to The Electric Storage Battery Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 12, 1938, Serial No. 245,110-

5 Claims.

Fig. 1 shows, in vertical section, a, portion of the cover of a storage cell with a filling and venting structure embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2shows a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, I is a portion of the.cover of a storage cell having a venting and filling opening 2 passing through the boss 3 projecting above the surface of the cover and through the depending cylindrical tubular member 4 extending below the surface of the cover.. Through the member 4 is shown an auxiliary vent 5 communicating with the filling duct 2- and the space 6 below the cover.

Extending from the inner wall of the tube 4 and integral therewith is shown the valve support 1 having a cup-shaped recess 8 in its upper surface adapted to retain the ball valve 9, the latter being preferably made, of .heavy metal such as lead antimony alloy resistant to attack by the electrolyte -in,the cell. i The outer end move the ball valve 9 away fromthe vent 5 as described above, allowing the trapped gas in the space 6 to escape and permitting the surplus liquid in the filling duct 2 to fall to the normal level.

From the foregoing description it is evident thatthe vent 5 extends from the space under the cover to the interior of the filling opening or duct 2 at about the level of the cover and that the element 8 is a valve seat for the vent 5. Furthermore the valve 9 is mounted on and supported solely by the seat in unstable equilibrium in all positions except when seated by of the vent 5 terminates near the bottom of the recess 8 and is adapted to be closed by the ball valve 9 when the latter rolls by gravity to its lowest position in the recess 8.

The boss 3 is provided with internal threads I adapted to engage with the external threads of the vent plug |2.. This vent plug is provided with a downwardlyextending annular rim l3 which, when the vent plug" .is inserted and screwed down into its lowest'positiomas shown in the drawing, engages the ball valve 9, forcing it away from the vent 'to permit gas trapped in the space 6 to escape into the vent duct 2 and thence via openings IT in the baflie M of the vent plug and the opening I5 into the ex.- ternal air. When the vent plug I2 is removed for filling and water is added to the cell up to the normal level of the electrolyte, as indicated at Iii, gas trapped in the space'B will prevent thelevel from rising higher in the cell; and further filling will bring the level of the liquid in the filling duct 2 up to a point where it will be visible and the filling operation will be stopped. When the vent plug I2 is then inserted, it will gravity on the vent 5.

We do not intend to be limited save as the scope of the prior art and of the attached claims may require.

We claim:

1. A filling and venting structure for a storage battery cell having a cover and containing electrolyte comprising, in combination, a wall defining a filling and venting duct through the cell cover extending downwardly approximately 7 to the normal electrolyte level, an auxiliary vent through said wall at a point just below the under surface of the cover, a ball valve member, a support for said ball valve adapted to retain it in proximity to the outer end of the auxiliary vent and to permit it to roll by g avity to close said vent, and a vent plug adapted to. be inserted into the filling and venting duct and when so inserted to engage the ball valve to move it ing a wall defining a cover and a filling duct the seat to the interior of the cell above the electrolyte level, and a ball valve mounted in the recess and movable on the inclined valve seat by gravity into the path of the plug for closing the auxiliary vent passage, said ball valve being movable on said seat by the plug, when the latter isinserted into the shut position for uncovering the auxiliary vent passage.

3. In combination with a cover of a storage battery having a filling opening therein and a neck extending downward from .the lower face of the coveraboutthefilling opening and also provided with a vent e communicating at one end with the space beneath the cover and about said neck and communicating at the other end with the atmosphere, a valve member controlling the dew oi gas through said vent passage of a ball movable into and out oi position to close that end of said passage which communicates with the atmosphere, means on said cover presenting a surface on which the ball rests and which is inclined downwardly toward the end of the vent passage communicating with the atmosphere and over which said ball is movable under the action oi gravity into' provided with a filling opening and with, a well extending down to substantially the normal electrolyte level, a valve recess formed on said cover having a communicating opening with said well and also having a port communicating with the position to close the vent passage and aplus having a communicating opening with said well and also having a port communicating with the space on the under side of said cover above the normal electrolyte level, a ball valve within said valve recess, said recess having a surface upon which said ball valve rests which surface is in-- clined downwardly toward said port so that the ball is biased in engagement with said port under the action of gravity to. normally close said e communicating with the v space on the under side of said cover above the normal electrolyte level, a ball valve within said valve recess, means within said recess presenting a surface inclined downwardly toward the upper end of said port for directing said ball valve member under the action of gravity into a position to cover and close said-port, and a filler plug adapted to close said filling opening, said plug engaging said ball valve member when the plug is moved to its closed position to cause said ball valve member to be bodily rolled up along said inclined surface to a position in which said port is uncovered, said plug also having a vent opening therein for the escape of gas which passes from the under side oi the cover through said port into said recess when the port is uncovered and the filling plug is in its closed position.

HAROLD C. RIGGS. WILLIAM C. LEINGANG. 

